What it takes
by crimeseriesfan
Summary: What does it take for her to admit her feelings? And what happens next.  Srry, I'm not good at summaries. Anyways, enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**This is the first story I've ever written. I'm sorry if there are mistakes in it, I'm still in high school and I'm from Holland **

**ENJOY**

**Chapter 1 **

Kate Beckett was finishing the paperwork from their latest case.

Castle had decided to stay at the loft today, to do some writing. He had said they didn't need him for this one; it was quite an easy case. His book wasn't exactly close to finished, and he needed to make the deadline.

Castle.

When he had said he wouldn't come in today, Kate couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

"_Kate, I love you... I love you Kate._"

It just kept going through her mind. She never said something back. Hell, she didn't even tell him she remembered. And she wondered more often if she should.

When the bomb exploded that day in the bank, she really thought she had lost him, and the thought that he wouldn't know how she felt, had nearly torn her apart.

She needed him to know, but once she would have said it, it was out. She wouldn't be able to back down then. And if she was honest with herself, she wouldn't mind. This was what she wanted. She knew.

She wanted him to know. Needed him to know.

But it was just so damn hard. She wasn't exactly the type of person to open up. But she would, for him.

She decided she would just start with grabbing some coffee with him.

So she called him. Voicemail. Shoot. Of course, he was probably so absorbed in writing he didn't even hear his phone.

She just grabbed her stuff and a few minutes later, she was in her car, on her way to the loft.

She rode the elevator up to his loft. The elevator dinged and she stepped out. She noticed his door was ajar.

Crap, she didn't have a good feeling about this. When she got closer, she heard a noise. She immediately drew her gun and ran towards the door.

"Castle?"

When she had almost reached the door, it flew open and a guy ran out. Her gut clenched and she ran inside.

"Castle?"

"Rick? Come on, answer me!"

That's when she saw him. She nearly broke down. There he was, lying on the floor. There was a big knife beside him and blood was pooling out the wound. She ran towards him and quickly checked his pulse. Weak, but it was there. She sighed in relieve and then called 911.

"Castle, can you hear me?" She had to fight so hard to keep back her tears, but she wasn't going to cry. She needed to stay strong for him.

He slightly nodded. She put her hand on the wound. "You're gonna be okay, do you hear me? You're gonna be okay. Just stay with me."

She heard the sirens. His eyes started to close.

"No Castle… Rick, please, come on, don't do this to me. Don't leave me, please." She started to cry. "This is not happening, this is NOT happening" she thought. She wasn't going to lose him.

Then the paramedics came in.

"Step aside please, ma'am".

"I want to ride with him."

"I'm sorry, but that's not possible."

The one of the other paramedics came and asked: "Aren't you the cop who got shot at the funeral?"

She nodded.

"Well, if she has the same effect on him as he had on her, she might keep him with us just long enough to get him to the hospital" he said to the other guy. He nodded. "Fine."

She got in the back of the ambulance with him and held his hand. He was barely conscious. "Come on Rick, stay with me, okay? Just stay with me 'til we're there."

When they arrived at the hospital, she ran along as long as she could, until one of the paramedics stopped her.

"Sorry, but we need to take him in surgery. You can wait outside." And he ran into the OR.

She sank to her knees and broke down in sobs.

**I hope you liked it! Please review, I'd like to know what you think about it. **

**I'll try to finish the next chapter a.s.a.p.**

**-xxx- **


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanx for the reviews! I really appreciate it.**

**Srry, I had a lot of things to do this week. I think sometimes teachers forget we actually have a life apart from school…**

**Anyways, here's the new chapter, enjoy!**

**Chapter 2**

She had made the calls to everyone who needed to know. The ones to Alexis and Martha were the hardest.

She sighed.

"Honey!" Lanie hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry, how is he?"

"He is still in surgery" she said, barely able to contain her tears.

Lanie looked at her compassionately. "I brought you some new clothes; let's find a bathroom so you can change."

Kate washed her hands and arms and changed into the clothes Lanie brought her. Then, she started to cry. Lanie hugged her.

"It's okay, it's okay," she said soothingly.

Slowly Kate calmed down a bit.

"I should have come earlier, if- if I just have been a minute earlier, he wouldn't have been lying here. I should have been there." Then she broke into sobs again.

Lanie grabbed her by her shoulders. "Hey, you listen to me. This is NOT your fault. Do you hear me? It's not your fault! If you wouldn't have been there, god knows how it would've ended. It's because of you he's still alive. Don't blame yourself, the only one to blame is the bastard who stabbed him, you hear me?"

Kate looked up at her friend. "Thanks. Maybe we should go back, see if Alexis and Martha have arrived yet." She wiped her tears away and they walked out of the bathroom.

When they came back, Alexis hugged her tightly. She was a bit surprised, but she recovered quickly and hugged the girl back.

Martha, Ryan and Esposito were there as well.

They sat down, waiting for the surgeon to come with hopefully good news.

"Family of Richard Castle?"

They all looked up.

"How is he?" Alexis asked.

"He's going to be okay, he won't have severe damage. He is recovering now. You can visit him, but only two or three at a time, okay?"

"Alexis and Martha, why don't you go first? After that, Ryan, Esposito and Lanie can go. I-I would like to see him alone," Kate said, feeling somewhat embarrassed to ask.

"Sure," Alexis replied, "It's okay, Kate, don't be ashamed to ask." She smiled warmly at Kate.

Alexis and Martha walked into his room. Alexis took his hand.

"Hey dad, I don't know if you can hear me, but the surgeon said you're going to be okay. I'll come by tomorrow. Love you." She kissed his forehead.

"Hey kiddo, you gave us quite a scare, you know? Just sleep well and I'll hope we'll see you tomorrow."

She squeezed his hand.

"Let's go home, Alexis, it's quite late and your dad wouldn't want you to be too tired for school."

They walked out of his room, Alexis looking back once at his sleeping form. They told Ryan, Esposito and Lanie they could go in.

The detectives didn't exactly know what to say and left rather quickly. Lanie stayed for a bit longer.

"Yo, Writer boy, you better wake up soon, 'cause Kate's going mad. She actually thinks this is her fault. Just open your damn eyes and tell her it's not."

She turned around and went to the waiting room.

"Honey, you can go in now. I know he ain't awake, but he needs you."

She hugged her best friend once more and then left.

Kate walked into his room. She sat down in a chair close to his bed and took his hand, not able to say anything.

Instead, she kissed his forehead and laid her head down beside him. She was going to have a sore neck, but she didn't care. All she wanted was to be with the guy that made her smile.

He was the first one to wake up in the morning. He felt something warm on his hand and arm. He slowly opened his eyes, and when he saw what, or rather who, was holding his hand, he smiled.

Sitting in a chair, holding his hand, was Kate Beckett.

She awoke too. She looked up and found him smiling at her.

"Castle! Oh, thank god, Rick, you're awake! How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, thanks to you."

She smiled, but the smile disappeared quickly.

"God, I was so afraid I lost you," she whispered, "and it wasn't the first time. When the bomb exploded in the bank, I had the same feeling. And the- the nightmares were even worse."

She took a deep breath.

"I remember," she continued, still speaking softly. "I remember every single word you said before I passed out." She looked down at their still joined hands.

"I had my suspicions."

She looked up. "Wha- why didn't you tell me?"

"I was afraid you would run away."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm willing to take the risk. Don't get me wrong, I still want to catch the bastard who's behind everything, but I don't want to lose you because of it. I want you by my side when I catch him."

"Am I dreaming or did you just say- OUCH!"

He rubbed his arm. "What was that for?"

"To show you you're not dreaming. But-eh… can we just keep it to ourselves for a bit? It's not that I'm ashamed of being with you, but I just want to enjoy this for ourselves for a week or two. And besides, we still need to get back at Lanie and Esposito."

She ducked her head and hid behind her hair.

He lifted her head with his finger.

"I'll go as slow as you want, Kate. I'm already happy you're willing to give us a chance. And… you're right about Lanie and Esposito."

He grinned.

"Ooh, we're so going to get back at them."

**Hope you liked it!**

**-xxx-**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hope you enjoyed the previous chapter! Day before yesterday, the season 3 finale was finally on television in Holland. Sorry if I miss some information or if I have information wrong from season 4. **

**Chapter 3**

"Dad!" Alexis exclaimed happily. She hugged him.

"Hey pumpkin" Castle said, kissing the top of her head.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling rather good, actually. The doctor said I can go home by the end of the afternoon."

"Great! Grams and I can make a welcome home dinner for you! Detective Beckett, do you want to come?"

"You can say Kate and I-I don't want to be intruding-"

Castle interrupted. "You're not Kate, you're always welcome, and besides, you saved my life yesterday. Dinner is the least I can do."

Kate looked from Alexis to Castle. "Well, okay, I'll be there."

Alexis was about to leave for school. "Oh, and Kate?" she started, "do you maybe want to bring dad home, I don't want him to go by himself in a cab."

"Hey, I've been stabbed, I'm not deaf," Castle said from his bed.

Kate glared at him. "Sure, Alexis."

"Thank you, Kate. Bye, see ya tonight!"

Castle was allowed to go home.

Together they walked towards her car. She helped him in and then sat down in the driver's seat.

Kate took his hand.

"Is something wrong, Kate?" he asked concerned.

"No, why?"

"It's just that I never imagined you as the type to hold hands."

She just smiled at him.

They arrived at the loft and stepped out of the car. When they rode the elevator, Kate took his hand again and laid her head on his shoulder. "Do you want to tell Alexis and your mother about us?"

"Only if you want to, Kate. I don't want to rush you into anything."

"Then I suppose we should tell them. I mean, they're your family and I don't mind if they know."

The elevator dinged.

Kate removed her head, but kept holding his hand. Together they walked into his apartment. Alexis hugged them both. Then she saw their joined hands.

"O my god, are you together?"

Kate ducked her head. "Sort of, I guess. Are you okay with it?"

"Are you serious? Of course I'm okay with it!" She grinned. "It was about time."

"What are we eating, pumpkin?"

"Spaghetti, and after that ice cream. Eh… Kate, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Yeah, sure."

Alexis led her to her room and sat down on the bed. She motioned for Kate to join her.

"Kate, I'm happy dad and you are together now. You're so different from Meredith and Gina. You're more… real. I hope you realize you have a chance, because he really cares about you." She looks down. "And I do too."

Kate is touched. She wraps her arms around the red headed girl. "I realize that, Alexis, and I care about him too. And I care about you too." She pulls back. "But your dad and I, we're taking things… slowly, so if you don't mind keeping this for yourself for a while…"

"I understand, Kate. But I'm still over-excited that you're with dad now." She grins. "C'mon, let's go downstairs, I think dinner's ready."

Together they walk towards the kitchen. While they were in Alexis' room, Martha had arrived.

"Kate, darling, thanks for bringing Richard here. Oh, and I'm really happy for you two, it was about damn time."

Kate looked down. "Thanks Martha."

"Come, sit down, the spaghetti is ready."

They all sat down and started to eat.

"Ehm…Castle?" Kate asked.

"Yeah?"

"Ryan and Esposito are trying to catch the guy who did this, and they asked if you could come to the precinct tomorrow, and meet a sketch artist."

"Sure, no problem."

When they finished eating, Martha spoke. "I'm heading out tonight, if you don't mind."

"Sure, mother, you can go. We'll manage, I think."

Martha left.

"Girls, why don't you pick a movie, then I'll fix the ice cream," Castle said.

"You sure, Castle? I can do the ice cream too, if you want."

"I can take care, thanks. Now pick a movie."

Kate and Alexis were looking through the DVD collection. They saw one they both liked.

"Shall we watch that one?" they both asked at the same moment. They smiled at each other.

"Dad, we're watching 'Made of honor', okay?" Alexis yelled.

"The one with Patrick Dempsey?" He walked into the living room.

"Yes, Castle, that one. No need to get jealous," Kate teased.

Alexis put the movie in and they all settled on the couch, Kate and Alexis on either side of him. When they finished their ice cream, Alexis yawned. "I think I'm heading to my room, I'm really tired. Night, dad."

"Night, pumpkin." He kissed her forehead.

"Night, Kate. I'll hope to see you tomorrow."

"Night, Alexis."

Alexis stood up and walked the stairs to her room.

Kate laid her head on Castle's shoulder. He kissed the top of her head. Together they watched the movie in a companionable silence. Suddenly he felt her sobbing. He put the DVD on pause.

"Kate, what's wrong?" he asked concerned.

"It's just- How can you do this, Rick?"

He was confused and a bit hurt. "Do what?"

"Being with me. I've always pushed you away, and you kept coming back. Rick, you had to be held hostage and get stabbed for me to acknowledge my feelings, damn it! You deserve so much better than me." Now she was really crying.

He hugged her tightly. "Kate, never, ever think you're not good enough for me. You're the best I can get; you're the most extraordinary and strongest woman I've ever met. And I have made mistakes too. But we're here now, and that's all I need." He pulled back and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

She calmed down a bit and said, "God, Rick, what have I done to deserve a man like you?"

She laid her head back down on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her. Soon she fell asleep.

He looked down at her, feeling incredibly happy. Not soon after her he fell asleep too.

**Curious to know what you think! **

**-xxx-**


	4. Chapter 4

**I think I'm going crazy; Castle won't be on television this week because of some stupid movie. **_

**Chapter 4**

Kate woke up to a delicious smell. She stood up and walked towards the kitchen, to find Castle making eggs and bacon.

"Hey, Castle."

He turned around. "Oh, hey sleepy head. Sit down, breakfast is almost ready."

She sat down. Not long after, Castle set down a plate in front of her.

"The wound still hurting?"

"Nah, not really. It stings a bit sometimes, but that's about it."

They ate their breakfast. When they were finished, Castle cleared his throat.

"Do you eh… do you maybe wanna go to dinner tonight? You- you can say no, if you think it's too soon, but I was just thinking…"

She smiled at him, finding it incredibly cute how he couldn't find his words. _Crap, cute? Really Kate? _She thought to herself.

"Castle, I asked to take it a bit slow, not to wait until we're both old and grey. So yeah, I would love to."

He smiled. "Great. And about fooling the boys and Lanie, I have the perfect idea."

"Please, tell me it's not something stupid." She moaned.

"O, trust me, it's not." Then he whispered something in her ear. Her smile grew.

"Perfect, although I hate to admit it. Now, go change, we need to stop at my apartment before we head to the precinct, I really need to change clothes." She softly pushed him towards his bedroom.

"So much for being nice and cozy." He muttered.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the window and desperately tried to flatten to hair. Alexis came down.

"Kate, you're still here!" the young girl said, obviously happy.

"Oh, hey Alexis. Yeah, we fell asleep on the couch." She realized how that must've sounded and she blushed. "That's not- it's not what you think, really."

"I understand, Kate, relax." She gave the detective a warm smile.

Castle came out of his room and saw Alexis. "Hey, pumpkin."

"Hey, dad. Sorry, I need to be quick, I'm a bit late." She walked to the kitchen to make herself breakfast.

Castle turned to Kate. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, c'mon, let's go, I think the boys are already at the precinct. They really work hard when it's about one of our own. Well, they always work hard, but now…" She didn't know how to continue.

"You guys consider me as one of you?" He said, while opening the door and walking towards the elevator with Kate.

She thought about that, not sure if she should say this. "Actually, we do. It's just- over the past years you slowly sneaked inside." She hadn't said it out loud, but they both knew she wasn't just talking about the team.

When they arrived at the precinct, Ryan and Esposito were sitting at their desks. Esposito was the first to notice them. Surprised to see Castle in quite a good state, he didn't acknowledge the fact that Beckett and Castle came in together, or at least he didn't think it through.

"Bro, how are you doin'?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

Ryan, not wanting to ruin his good mood, decided to speak up. "Eh, Castle, do you want to go and see the sketch artist, you know, to describe the guy who…" He trailed off, not really wanting to say it.

"Yeah, sure, anything to get him off of the streets."

Esposito took him to the sketch artist. With Castle's help, they had gotten a pretty good image. Esposito gave it to Kate and she hung it on the murder board. Then she mentally corrected herself. _ Not murder board, crime board. He isn't dead._

"Castle, I don't know if you noticed, but we put detail on you, Alexis and Martha. If he tries to finish his job, he won't come far, I can assure you." Then she turned to Ryan and Esposito. "Did they find anything at Castle's apartment?"

"They found a pair of fingerprints which doesn't belong to any of you guys, but they're not in the system." Ryan answered.

"Okay, guys, why don't you make copies of the sketch and show them around in and around the building. Maybe someone knows him or remembers seeing him, that day or more often." Kate said to the two detectives.

"Right, boss." Ryan and Esposito answered in unison and they got to work. Soon they left.

Kate took Castle to the break room. Once they were inside, she spoke to him.

"Eh… about tonight…" she begun.

"Wear something nice and make sure you're ready at 7." He finished.

"Like you can read my mind. Coffee?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure."

She filled to mugs and handed one to him. They drunk their coffee and chatted a bit. Then Kate's phone rang.

"Beckett."

"_Yo, Boss. Someone recognized the guy as a Philip King. We've got an address. 276 West 22th street." _

"Okay, great. Wait for me and I'll be there soon."

She looked at Castle. "We've got him."

**I really hope you liked it. Please review, I would appreciate that.**

**-xxx-**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Authors note: **_**Lanie and Esposito are still together, so are Alexis and Ashley. (I accidentally found out they broke up, if the information was correct) It's possible that some of the things which happened in season 4 didn't happen in my story. I don't exactly know what happened and I don't want to know until I see it.**

**So, here's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long.**

**Chapter 5**

"No."

"Come on, Beckett, let me come with you."

"No, absolutely not."

"Then at least tell me why not."

"Because I don't want anything to happen to you," Kate yelled. "I don't want to lose you, Rick. I can't lose you." She was now whispering.

Castle looked around if someone could see them. Then he put his finger under her chin so she was looking at him. "Hey, I'm not going anywhere. But I'll stay here, okay?"

She smiled grateful at him. "See you soon."

Kate met Ryan and Esposito outside the building where King lived. "Ready, guys?" She asked. They both nodded.

They took the stairs. When they were at the right door, Kate knocked on the door.

"Philip King? NYPD, open the door!"

They heard a noise and Kate kicked open the door. They drew their guns and they split up, looking for King. Kate spotted him first, and saw he was aiming for Esposito.

"Esposito!" She yelled, and she pushed him aside. The sound of a shot rang through the apartment and Ryan, who had come closer, responded immediately and shot King.

"Beckett, you okay?" Esposito asked, sounding worried.

"Yeah, he hit me in the vest. I'm fine, thanks."

"I think I should be thanking you, boss."

Kate stood up and looked at the dead body of Philip King. "I wonder where he got that gun from… Whatever, come on, let's go back."

When they got back, Castle sprung up from his chair. "Did you get him?"

Ryan answered. "Well, sort of."

"What do you mean, sort of? What happened?"

It was now Esposito who answered. "He tried to shoot me, Beckett jumped in front of me and then Ryan shot him."

"She got hit? Is she okay?"

"Yeah, he shot at her vest, she's fine," Esposito said.

Then Kate walked in. She didn't see Castle's worried look. "Guys, I think I'm calling it a day. Paperwork can wait 'til tomorrow."

"Sure boss, see ya tomorrow." Ryan and Esposito said in unison.

"I think I'm calling it a day too. See you, guys." Castle said. He hurried to the elevator, just in time to step inside with Kate before it shut.

He turned to her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Kate, you got shot. I know it hit your vest, but still…" He trailed off.

"Castle. Rick, look at me. I'm fine, you see, now stop worrying."

They were silent for the rest of the ride down. They were about to part ways.

"Until 7 tonight, detective."

"I'll be ready."

When Kate came home, it was 5 p.m. She decided she would take a bath. She dropped her bag on the kitchen counter and filled a glass of wine. On her way to her bathroom she grabbed 'Naked Heat'. She opened the tab and took off her clothes. When the tub was filled, she carefully stepped in.

About an hour later she got out of the bathtub. She dried herself off and went looking for a dress. She pulled some dresses out of her closet and laid them on her bed.

The first one was a black strapless dress which came mid-thigh. The second was a red one with one strap which was a bit longer. The last dress she had pulled out of her closet was still in a bag. She opened it and decided that would be the one she was going to wear. It was a sequin dress with long sleeves. She also took a silver pair of 4 inch heels and she put her outfit on.

_Next problem, _she thought, _what am I going to do with my hair? _ She didn't exactly know how Castle would like it. _Damn, since when do I fix my hair the way a guy likes it? Oh, who am I kidding? _She knew very well since when. Since Castle came around. She decided to do not too much about it. She applied some make-up, but not too much.

It neared 7. She didn't know why, but she felt quite nervous. _It's just a date. I've been on dates before. Nothing to be nervous about. _She kept repeating that in her mind.

The doorbell rang. She went to the door to open it.

Castle had planned what to say, but his jaw dropped. She hadn't overdone anything, but she looked amazing.

"Wow, Kate, you look beautiful."

She smiled. "You don't look so bad yourself, Castle. Just let me grab my purse, and then I'm ready to go."

She went back to the kitchen, put some more stuff in her purse, grabbed her keys and returned to Castle. She locked the door and together they rode the elevator. The cab was still waiting, like Castle had asked him.

"Ladies first," he said, and he opened the door. He stepped in after her.

They stopped at an Italian restaurant, with a beautiful view of the city.

When they walked in, a guy came over to them.

"Richard Castle!" he said. "And who is this nice young woman?"

"Tony, this is Kate Beckett. Kate, this is my friend, Tony."

"Nice to meet you, Tony."

"C'mon, let me lead you to your table." He led them to a table near the window.

Kate sat down and looked outside in awe. "Wow, Castle, this is absolutely beautiful."

They ordered their food and they just talked about some random stuff.

Their food arrived and when Kate took a bite, she couldn't hold back a small moan. "This is delicious! Do you come here more often?"

"Yeah, I've been here before. But I eh… I want to ask you something, and you don't have to answer it, if it's too personal, but I've been thinking about it lately."

When he didn't go on, she pressed a little bit. "What is it, Castle? Just ask."

"When we were standing in the hallway, just before I left to the Hamptons with… you know, you were going to say something and then Gina interrupted and I don't think it was just 'Have a nice time', was it?"

She looked down, remembering that moment all too clear. "I, eh…"

"You don't have to answer it, you know? Just curious."

"No, you have a right to know. I was going to say that I broke up with Demming and that I had changed my mind." She looked up at him, waiting for a reaction.

"Really? You broke up before I left?"

She shrugged. "Yeah."

"Oh. Well, let's continue eating, it's getting cold."

After a while they had both finished their dinner.

"Do you want the tiramisu as dessert? Well, of course you should decide by yourself, but it's amazing!" Castle said.

"Yeah, sure. But I bet everything here is amazing."

Castle ordered the tiramisu. And when it arrived, and Kate tried it, she almost couldn't keep back a moan again. "Wow, this is great!"

"I know; it's my standard dessert when I come here."

They were both silent for a while. He was the one to break it.

"So, phase 1 starting tomorrow?" He smiled mischievously.

She smiled back. "Of course."

After they finished their tiramisu, Castle paid and they left. He hailed a cab and let her step inside first.

"You wanna come over to my apartment?" He asked.

"Well, actually, would you mind if I don't?" She said, not really wanting to reject him.

"It's okay, I was just asking. But… can I walk you to your apartment?"

She pretended to think really hard of that. Then she smiled. "Of course you can."

So, they both got out at her address. They went up and she opened her door. Then she turned around and they shared a look. Probably one of those Lanie found adorable.

They both leaned in until their lips met. It was a great kiss, not abnormally heated, but absolutely perfect. He put his arms around her waist and she put hers around his neck. They only broke apart when they desperately needed some oxygen.

He rested his forehead against hers.

"So…" he began.

"So… what?"

"Can I call you my girlfriend now?"

She pulled back a bit. "Not yet."

He got a sad expression. Quickly she placed another kiss on his lips.

"Now you can."

**I hope you liked this one. **

**To see what her dress looks like, copy this, but leave out the spaces: **

_**http: / . com/ albums/ y107/ geekilicious/ stana/ amas/**___

**To see what her hair looks like, copyt his, but again, leave out the spaces:**

http: / www. flickr. com / photos/ fanbaseshop/ 5777318642/

**Please review!**

**-xxx-**


	6. Chapter 6

**I think I'm going to die. Castle won't be on television for at least 8 weeks, unless the new program gets rescheduled. The last episode I saw was Eye of the beholder. 2 down, 6 to go…**

**Sorry it took so long. Again.**

**Chapter 6**

Castle walked into the precinct, a tray with for cups of coffee in his hands. He put each cup in front of the right detective.

"Thanks, Castle," Kate said.

Ryan and Esposito stared at him, then at their coffees and then back at him. Esposito spoke up.

"Dude, did you do something stupid?"

"What, can't I just bring you guys coffee? Jeez, I'm just trying to be nice," Castle responded. Then he sat down in his usual chair. The team had taken over a case from another precinct, and they were waiting until Lanie knew more about the victim.

After a few hours, Kate's phone rang.

"Hey, Lanie. Yeah, I'll be right there." She put her phone down. Guys, that was Lanie, said she had something. I'm heading over there now." Castle began to get up. "Alone." He looked disappointed, but sat down again. When she was gone, he turned to Ryan and Esposito and beckoned for them to come closer.

"So, I'm dating this woman, and she's amazing. She's beautiful, smart; she's more than I could ever wish for. And I… I love her. More than anything in the world. Alexis not counted. We haven't been dating for very long, but… do you think it's possible that I already know she's the one?"

Ryan and Esposito were just staring at him. Ryan responded first. "Well, uh… if you really love her…" Esposito glared at him and Ryan stopped speaking.

"Ryan, can you help me look for some file?" He asked.

"Yeah sure."

As soon as they were out of Castle's earshot, Esposito started talking to his partner.

"What the hell? I swear, the last time I checked, he couldn't keep his eyes off Beckett. And now he's sure he met the right woman? This is bad. Damn, Lanie's not going to like this." He shook his head.

"It's not just him. I mean, she gets grumpy whenever he's not around. And the way they look at each other, finish each other's sentences… I was sure they'd end up together. What are we going to do about this?"

Esposito sighed. "I don't know bro. Maybe Lanie knows something. I'll call her after Beckett's back."

They walked back to the bullpen.

_Meanwhile, at the morgue…_

"Hey, girl," Lanie greeted.

"I'm dating someone." Kate blurted.

Lanie stared at her in shock. "I'm sorry, girl. WHAT?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "You heard me." Then she spoke again, softer now. "I- I really like him, Lane. He's kind, caring, funny… he's more than I could ever wish for. He's so different from Will, Tom and Josh, he… he could be my one-and-done. No, we haven't been dating for that long, but with him I'm Kate, not detective Beckett, and I feel like I can live again. It sounds cheesy, but it's true."

"But… what about Writer Boy?"

Kate glared at her. "What do you have on the victim?"

Lanie wanted to discuss it further, but when she saw Kate's look, she decided to drop the subject.

"Well, I have no clue who he is, but he's in his late 40's to early 50's. He has several stab wounds, but the one through his heart was the one that killed him. From the angle of the stab wounds, I'd say our killer is slightly bigger than the vic."

"And what about the time he was killed?" Kate asked.

"Say 40 to 48 hours ago. Give or take a bit."

"Okay, thanks Lane. Let me know if you find anything else." Then she turned around and walked away.

Lanie yelled after her. "This conversation is not over, girl!"

"Yeah, it is," Kate's voice came from somewhere down the hall.

Lanie shook her head, and turned to the dead body. "You may not see what's going on, but I certainly do."

_Back in the precinct_

"Guys, we've got a John Doe. Can you check missing person files, Esposito? And Ryan, can you look for cams near the crime scene? Maybe there will be something on it that'll help us," Beckett said.

"Sure, boss," the reply came from Ryan and Esposito.

"Castle, grab your coat. Road trip."

He immediately sprung up and put his coat on. The two male detectives looked after them. When they were gone, Esposito took his phone and called Lanie.

"He's dating someone!"

"_She's dating someone!"_

"What?" They both said at the same time.

"Okay, chica, you first," Esposito said.

"_There ain't much to tell. She just walks in here and says she's dating someone. Apparently he's her one-and-done. What about Writer Boy?"_

"Sort of the same story. Tells us to come closer and starts telling about this amazing woman he's dating. What are we gonna do?"

"_Force them on a date or so? I've no idea. I don't think we can do much about this."_ Lanie sounded desperate.

"We'll see. Maybe they'll get over them. Love you."

"_Yeah, love you too. Bye."_

Esposito hung up. "I'm losing money on them, a lot of it."

"Yeah, me too, me too bro."

**I didn't really know where to cut it off. Hope this isn't annoying. I'll try to finish the next chapter soon**

**-xxx-**


	7. Chapter 7

**Guys, I'm sooo sorry it took so long! Really.**

"So, how did it go with Lanie?" Castle asked.

"Great! She really believed what I said. What about Ryan and Esposito?"

"They didn't notice a thing. They went 'looking for a file' to discuss it."

Kate laughed. "This is going to be more fun than I imagined it would be."

"Where are we going, by the way?" Castle asked curious.

"To the crime scene. Maybe we'll find something that the other officers didn't." Kate pulled over near a large building.

"He lived here and we don't have an ID?" Castle asked, looking up at the huge, expensive looking building. They got out of the car.

"Nope, he was killed in an alley but I'm sure there are no good parking spots over there," Kate replied.

They walked into the alley and started to look for something, anything that would help them, but after searching every square inch of the alley, they still found nothing.

They walked back to the car. Castle was fidgeting and looking nervous to Kate's hands, to Kate's face and to her hands again. She let out a sigh and stopped walking. Then she turned to him.

"What, Castle?"

"N-nothing," he stammered. She glared at him.

"I- ehm… I wanted to hold your hand, but I really like my life and I don't plan on ending it so soon, so…" he trailed off and started to continue walking. Kate stopped him and took his hands in hers.

"Castle, look at me."

He didn't.

"Rick."

Now he looked up.

"I won't kill you. I'm completely in this relationship, or whatever it is what we're having. Yes, we need to be careful in front of people we know, but… I'm still your girlfriend and last time I checked, it wasn't forbidden for a boyfriend to take his girlfriends' hand. So, stop worrying." Then she leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips.

"Do you understand me?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am." Then he smiled and took her hand.

Just before they reached the car, Kate's phone rang.

"Hey, Espo. Got something?"

"_Yeah, got an ID on our victim. His name is Edward Johnson. I'm going to find out more about him. I should be finished by the time you guys come back."_

Thanks. We're heading back now and we plan on stopping to get something to eat. Should we bring something for you guys too?"

"_Yeah, thanks. The usual."_

"Okay, see you guys in 30. Bye."

She hung up and they got in the car.

"So, when do we start phase 2?" Castle asked.

"Soon. Just let everything sink in on them before going on."

"But then it'll take so long," he whined.

"It'll be worth it. And now shush, before I change my mind about us."

That worked.

_Back at the precinct, 20 minutes or so later_

"Hey guys."

"Hey boss, Castle. I heard you got us some food?" Ryan said.

"We did. Can you fill me in while eating or do you need to do that separately?" Kate teased.

"Ha-ha. Funny, but women are not the only ones who can multitask," Esposito replied.

They started eating and Esposito started talking.

"Our vic is nothing special. 32 years old. Not even so much as a parking ticket. He works at a bank; no wife, only child, dad died when he was 9, his mother is on her way in."

Kate nodded sadly, not really looking forward to give someone bad news.

"Did you find any camera's around the crime scene, Ryan?" she then asked.

"Well, there are 3 cams that could be useful, but there's some kind of a problem, so I haven't received the footage yet."

A woman, probably in her early 60's, walked into the bullpen.

"I'm looking for detective Beckett?" she asked.

"That's me. Can I help you?" Kate asked politely.

"I'm Jessica Johnson. I'm Edward's mother. Another detective said it was about him."

"Why don't you follow me and sit down?"

Once they sat, Kate spoke.

"I'm really sorry to tell you, Mrs. Johnson, but your son's body was found today. And I know it's hard, but I need to ask you some questions. Is that okay?"

The woman had tears in her eyes, but nodded.

"Do you know if there's someone who might have wanted to harm your son? Did he act strange lately, or was there anything that might've had to do with his death?"

She thought for a moment, and then shook her head. "No. As far as I know, he didn't have problems with anyone, and everything just seemed fine the last time I saw him."

"Okay. If anything comes up, don't hesitate to call me." Kate stood up and shook the older woman's hand. "Once again, I'm really sorry for your loss."

Kate went to update the murder board. After she was finished, she sat down and looked at it. After an hour of looking and trying to come up with anything, Ryan called her.

"Boss, I got the camera footage. I'm going to take a look at it, but it's quite a lot, so it'll take a while."

"Okay. Esposito, can you check his financials? I'll look into his phone records," Kate said.

"On it, boss."

"Where is Castle, by the way?" Kate asked, not having noticed yet he was gone, thinking he had been getting coffee.

"Oh, Alexis called. Don't know what it was about, but he left," Ryan said, who then turned back to his task.

Kate got a strange feeling. Even though Alexis wasn't her biological daughter, she really cared for the girl. _God, I hope she's okay, _Kate thought.

At 8 o'clock Kate stood up to leave.

"Guys, I'm heading home. We can go through the phone records and financials in detail tomorrow morning. See ya."

And then she left. But she didn't go home. Instead, she drove to Castle's place. When she stood in front of his door, she doubted. _What if I'm intruding? What if Alexis doesn't want me here?_ Then she shrugged it off and knocked on the door. When Castle opened the door, he had tears in his eyes, but when he saw who it was, he smiled and let her in. Kate wasn't fooled, though.

"Rick, what's going on? Are you okay? Is Alexis okay?" she asked worried. They sat down on the couch.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kate glared at him. "Okay, maybe not. Alexis had a problem, I overreacted a bit, she got mad, said I didn't understand and- god, I'm a terrible father," he said, and put his head in his hands.

She carefully took his hands and made him look at her. "You're not. I bet a lot of girls wish to have a father like you, and besides, it happens. Teenage daughters get in fights with their parents. But your bond with Alexis is so strong, and no fight can break that." She was silent for a moment, and then kissed him softly on the lips.

"I don't know what it was about, but maybe I can talk to her?" Kate offered.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I don't know if it'll help, but I can at least try, right?"

He hugged her. "Thank you, Kate. Her room is upstairs, second door on the left."

She got up. When she stood in front of Alexis' door, she knocked.

"Dad, go away!" Alexis yelled.

"Alexis, honey, it's me, Kate. Can I come in?"

"Oh, sorry. Yeah, come in."

Kate opened the door and sat with Alexis, who was sitting on her bed, tears in her eyes. She wrapped her arm around the redhead, holding her close.

"You know, when I was young, I had a lot of fights with my dad. Like, big fights. But eventually we made up again. And you know why? Because we love each other and he was just trying to be a good dad who didn't want to see his little girl growing up. You and your dad are the same, Alexis. He really loves you and your bond is really strong. It will be okay. I promise." She kissed Alexis on top of her hair.

Alexis looked up. "I know, but it's just… dad can be so… dad, you know?"

Kate smiled. "I know. And I understand."

"Thank you, Kate."

"You're welcome, Lex. Always."

**Hope you all liked it. Reviews are appreciated **

**-xxx-**


	8. Chapter 8

**I think (read: hope) my writer's block is over. Castle is back on television. Yeah! **

**Chapter 8**

After Kate's conversation with Alexis, a little over a week had passed. Kate and Rick had fooled Lanie and the boys around a bit, but nothing serious. Kate thought about it. _How come Ryan and Esposito didn't notice anything? They're detectives, for god sakes. Or do they already know?_

Kate shrugged it off and walked into the precinct. She saw Ryan, Esposito and Castle together in the break room, obviously discussing something. When she came closer, she saw the newspaper and heard what they were saying.

"Bro, you're number 3 on the Bachelor list. Not bad, not bad at all!" Esposito said.

"Yeah. And even though I'm not single, I'm honored," Castle said. They still hadn't noticed Beckett, which actually surprised her a bit.

"And the best part," Ryan said, "is that number 2 from the women asked for your number!" He then realized he shouldn't bring Castle on any ideas. Him dating someone else was bad enough. But he didn't know how to turn it back, so he shut up.

"Well, guys, that's all really great, but… like I said, I'm not single anymore. Our relationship is serious, and I really, really don't want to screw it up, you know? She's, aside from Alexis, the best thing that has ever happened to me. She's special, we're special and I'm not going to throw it away."

Kate then cleared her throat. "Wow, you're really working hard on the case, aren't you, guys?" She joked.

Ryan and Esposito jumped up, muttered something like an apology and walked towards their desks, trying to find something that could lead to the killer. Kate sat down with Castle and once the two male detectives were out of hearing distance, she started talking.

"So, it's serious, huh?" She asked, still a bit unsure.

"Oh, come on, Kate you know it is." He looked around and then took her hand in his. "I meant it. You really are special, and I really don't want to screw this up. I can't promise anything only that I'll try. If you try as well."

She squeezed his hand. "I know you meant it. And I'll try. Promise." Then she released his hands and left the break room. She noticed that Esposito was gone, but shrugged it off. Probably using the men's room, or so. But he wasn't. He was calling Lanie.

"_Hey, handsome," _Lanie greeted him.

"Chica. I have a question. If number 2 on the bachelor list would ask for your number, would you do so?"

"_Yeah, duh! Of course! What idiot wouldn't?"_

He was silent and then she understood.

"_Tell me he didn't."_

"Sorry, babe. He did. It really is serious, and I don't think there's anything we can do."

"_I'm first going to kick __**his **__butt, and then I'll kick Kate's. Damn, if they'd just gotten it together already…"_

"Yeah, I know. Look, I've gotta go back. Love you."

"_Love you too."_

Later that day, they finally solved the case. They got a lead, followed it, and totally unexpected it led to their killer. Castle had already gone home while Kate did some paperwork. Around 09 pm she finished and decided to head over to Castle's place.

She rang the bell and waited. When the door opened, she was met with a slightly familiar scene. Castle was wearing his laser tag outfit, aiming his gun at her. When he saw who it was, he lowered it and put his glasses on top of his head.

"Ah, déja vu," Kate said, smiling. "Look, sorry, I didn't know you were having father-daughter time with Alexis. I'll leave you to it."

"No, no, stay! You could join us."

"Oh, no. It won't be long 'till she leaves for college. Spend time with her."

"Dad? Who is it?" Alexis' voice came.

"It's Kate," he answered.

Then Alexis also appeared in the door opening. "Kate, come in! You should really join us! It's fun."

Castle gave Kate a look that told _I told you so. _

"Really? You wouldn't mind, Alexis? I understand if you want to spend some time alone with your dad before you leave," Kate said, still unsure.

"Oh, please. I spend enough time with him. You belong with us now. You can be with me against dad. It's going to be fun. Please?" She asked, putting on the same puppy dog look her dad sometimes used.

"Okay. I'm really looking forward to make him beg for mercy," she said with a sly smile, and then brushed past him.

Not very long after, it was dark again, with the exceptions of a few laser lights, and 3 people were creeping through the loft. Kate and Alexis had shortly discussed their tactics, and were now waiting for the right moment. Kate spotted him first. She motioned Alexis and nodded. Alexis counted silently to three and then they attacked him.

"Haha! That's it Voltar!" Alexis yelled.

"You're dead! We win," Kate added. Then she laughed. "God, this was fun! I never, ever imagined playing laser tag after my teen years. And here I am, having the time of my life."

"I'm glad you liked it, Kate. And you make one hell of a partner," Alexis said and they bumped their fists. "But… I'm tired, so I'm going to head to bed. Night Kate, night Dad."

"Night, Alexis," they said in unison.

Castle then turned to Kate. "Wanna play another round, detective? I want revenge."

"I'd love to, Rick. But you won't win." She put her glasses back on. "Rebels will always win, Voltar. Get used to it."

Castle turned off the lights and they started their game. After about an hour, Kate had won 3 times and Castle only once. She was listening carefully to hear if he was close by. But he spotted her first, without her knowledge. She was close to the couch. But when he wanted to tackle her, she turned around and shot him. He was startled and tripped, which caused him to fall on her and together they fell on the couch.

"You really thought you could beat me, Castle? Come on, you should know better than that."

"Beginners luck, Kate. Beginners luck."

She smiled and reached up to kiss him softly. They'd already dropped their guns and glasses on the floor. Castle pulled back and removed her vest, then removed his own. He leaned down to claim her lips again.

"You know, how much I love this, I think we should keep it at this. Slowly, you know? I don't want to rush you," Castle said, a little bit afraid of her reaction.

Kate smiled, touched that he cared that much about her to stop himself (and her, if she had to admit) until they reached the right time.

"I think you're right," she then said.

"However, you're allowed to stay the night and cuddle with me," he said, sitting up and pulling her with him.

"I'll gladly take your offer. Lead the way."

He took her hand and they got up, walking towards his room. When they entered, Kate first stood there in awe. It was beautiful, and really Castle-like. While she admired his room, he took an old shirt of his, and a pair of boxers, and handed them to her.

"You can change in the bathroom, I'll go after you."

"Thanks, Rick."

When they were both finished, they got into bed. At first they were at respectable distance, but then she scooted closer to him and spoke.

"Thank you, Rick."

He was confused. "For what?"

"For making me laugh, making me feel at home, putting up with me, sticking around no matter what I do or say, just everything. You're too good for me."

He put his arm around her, pulling her flush to his chest and kissed her hair. "I'm glad you feel at home here, Kate. I'll do everything to put a smile on your beautiful face. And that I would be too good for you, it's not true. And you know it. Stop worrying and sleep, okay?"

She pulled a bit back, and kissed him softly, as some sort of answer. Then she snuggled closer again, and they both fell asleep with identical smiles on their faces.

**So, I hope you liked it. And I'll try to post another chapter soon, but I can't promise anything.**

**Please review, I'd appreciate it!**

**-xxx-**


	9. Chapter 9

**And again, sorry it took so long! This is the last chapter. Hope y'all like it!**

**Chapter 9**

They were bored. Really bored. Even Kate couldn't wait to get home, and it was only just after lunch. Suddenly, Esposito got an idea.

"Yo, Castle, are we goin' to meet your girl some day or will she stay anonymous forever?" he asked.

"Yeah," Ryan replied, "when's that going to happen?"

"Funny that you guys ask. I was thinking, praying no case will come up, we could all go to the Old Haunt tonight, and I'll bring her. And maybe Beckett can bring her boyfriend too?" He looked unsurely in her direction. "That is, if you want to, of course."

"You know what, I'd love to. We were thinking about what to do tonight, and this sounds good. And I bet Lanie would love to see him," Kate replied with a smile.

Ryan and Esposito looked at each other, and then both shrugged.

"Sounds good to me. I'll call Lanie to let her know. What time should we be there?" Esposito asked.

"7.30, maybe?" Castle suggested.

All 3 detectives nodded. Ryan and Esposito both went to make a call to inform Jenny and Lanie.

"Chica, are you free tonight?" Esposito asked.

"_Yeah, I think so. Why?"_

"Tonight we're all going to the Old Haunt. And guess what, Castle and Beckett are both bringing their 'perfect partner'. But we'll see if they're really that perfect."

"_No way, Kate's brining her boyfriend? Of course I'm free! What time do we have to be there?"_

"7.30. I'll pick you up at 7.15?"

"_Yeah, sounds good. Bye, love you."_

"Love you too. See ya." He hung up. When he walked back to his desk, Ryan just came back from his call as well.

"Jenny is coming as well. Said she hadn't seen you guys in a while and that it would be a good opportunity to catch up."

At 5 o'clock, Gates sent them all home. Ryan and Esposito left immediately. Kate was still packing her bag but then left as well.

"So, I was thinking," Castle began, while they stepped into the elevator, "maybe you can go home to change and all the other stuff you need to do, pack an overnight bag, come to my place, and we could go together? Of course early enough to beat the others, and afterwards you can come to my place?" He rambled off the last bit, unsure of what she would say. They walked outside.

"I'd love to, Rick. But… drop the nervous expression. They don't need to know the second they come in," Kate teased.

"I- that's mean, detective. I have a perfect poker face."

"Hmm. Riiight…" Kate drawled. "Anyway, I'll be at your place a quarter to 7, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Bye." Then they both got into separate cabs and went home.

When Kate got home, she first took a nice, hot shower. Then she went to her closet, not knowing what to wear. _Damn, not again, _she thought. She went through all her stuff. She decided to keep it simple, but not something she'd wear at work. She went through her stuff again, but now looking closer and judging everything. Her eye fell on a yellow top from Yves Saint Laurent she'd never worn before. _Ah, perfect; not too much, but still nice. _She combined it with shoes of the same brand and a new pair of jeans. She decided not to wear any jewelry, afraid it would be too much. She did add some make up as finishing touch.

Kate checked her father's watch. "Shit," she murmured. If she wanted to be at Castle's in time, she had to pack her overnight bag right now. She threw some stuff in, quickly checked herself in the mirror, grabbed her keys and phone and went out the door.

Rick opened the door and smiled when he saw Kate. "Hey, come in."

Kate smiled as well and walked into the loft. Rick closed the door, and when he turned around, he moaned. Kate frowned and turned around. "What's wrong?"

"Those jeans just fit too damn well. And you really expect me to keep my hands to myself tonight?"

"I said no such thing," she said, and winked. "So, where can I put my bag?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but apparently he changed his mind and instead he said: "You can put it in my room." He didn't know for sure, but it looked like she swayed her hips just a bit more than usual while walking towards his room. After she put her bag down and turned around, he surprised her by standing directly behind her and kissing her on the lips. He wanted to deepen it, but she pulled back. "If you keep doing that, we'll never make it there in time." He nodded, gave her a quick peck and then held out his arm. "Ready to go, detective?"

"Always," she replied with a smile, and hooked her arm through his.

When they arrived at the Old Haunt, there weren't many people yet. They sat down by the bar and then they waited for their friends to arrive.

When Lanie, Esposito, Ryan and Jenny walked in, they noticed Kate and Rick were alone.

"Eh, I thought they were both dating someone else and that we were going to meet them," Jenny said, looking at Kevin, not really understanding it.

"That's what I thought as well, honey," Ryan answered.

"Perfect partners, yeah right. They're late!" Lanie exclaimed.

Then Kate turned around and smiled. "Hey guys!"

Lanie smiled. "Girl, you look fine!"

"Thanks, Lane."

"Come on, let's move to a table," Rick said, and walked towards an empty one. Jenny and Ryan sat down on one side, Rick sitting next to Ryan. Esposito and Lanie sat down on the other side, and Kate sat down next to Lanie. They ordered drinks and talked a bit. But Lanie couldn't bear it any longer.

"Are your dates coming or what?"

"Oh, that's right. Sorry," Rick said. Lanie immediately looked around, expecting two other people to come to their table. Kate and Rick stood up.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, detective Kate Beckett," Rick said, smiling.

"And I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Richard Castle, mystery writer," Kate said, with a smile on her face identical to Castle's. Then she turned towards him, placed her hand on his cheek and kissed him softly on the lips. He was surprised at first, but he quickly recovered and kissed her back. When they broke apart, they found the others staring at them in shock. And again it was Lanie who spoke first.

"Katherine Beckett! You are so very, very lucky I have a lot of money on you and Writer Boy otherwise I would've kicked your ass. Both your asses," she said, pointing an accusing finger at them. Then she smiled. "But I'm happy for the both of you, I really am. You make _the _perfect couple and it took you guys long enough!"

Esposito shook his head. "I can't believe you hid this from us. And that we didn't notice… We're detectives for crying out loud!"

"Well, apparently you're not so good as you thought you were, Javi," Kate said with a grin.

"You know, when I first met you, I thought you already were a couple," Jenny said, "and at first I didn't believe Kevin when he said that you weren't. You really make a great couple."

"Thanks, Jenny," Rick said, "guys, I'm gonna have to excuse myself to the men's room." Then he stood up and walked towards afore mentioned room.

"Excuse us," Esposito and Ryan said, who then followed Castle.

Rick had just washed his hands and wanted to go back to the rest, but was stopped by Ryan and Esposito who were blocking the exit. He looked from one guy to the other, confused.

"What's wrong?" he asked, with a hint of fear in his voice.

"We're happy for you and Beckett, man, we really are. But she's like a sister to us, you know? And she's been hurt too many times, and if you even so much as think of hurting her, we'll know where to find you," Esposito said.

"Yeah, and we're trained detectives, no one will ever find your body. And I'm sure Lanie will help us, either with hiding the body or writing it off as 'death by natural causes'," Ryan added.

"I appreciate your concern, but I don't intend on hurting Kate, ever. She means the world to me, and it hurts me as much as it hurts you guys to see her hurt. And if I would hurt her, I'd buy the shovel myself."

Ryan smiled. "We know you would. We just wanted to make it very, very clear. Come on, let's go back to our girls."

The rest of the night they talked about everything and nothing. Around midnight, everyone decided to go home. In the cab, Kate laid her head on Rick's shoulder. "What took you guys so long when you went to the bathroom?"

"Well… They, uh… wanted to clarify… something," Rick answered. "But nothing to worry about, I promise."

Kate nodded, not completely buying it, but she didn't push it. They got out of the cab, and entered Rick's building. When they entered his loft, Rick couldn't control himself any longer. He had been watching Kate all evening, or to be more accurate, the body part that was being covered by jeans that fitted way too well. So he wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her back to him.

She squealed.

Then he turned around and kissed her, not too hard, but with an enormous amount of pure love. Then he softly pushed her back, until she hit the kitchen counter. She moaned, and wrapped her legs around his waist. They broke apart, but only for air. Then she assaulted his mouth with hers. He pushed her a bit harder against the counter, and she arched into him. Then she moaned again.

"Bedroom, Rick, now!"

"Are you sure?" he asked, really wanting it, but not wanting to push her. She glared at him, which was enough for him to lift her up and carry her to his bedroom. Once he was inside, he kicked the door shut and then softly laid her down on his bed. She rolled her eyes at his carefulness, and then she began to undress him, and not so patiently. When all of their clothes were on the ground or someplace else, Castle stared at her. At first she didn't understand, but then he stroked her scar. She looked away.

"They're ugly," she whispered, "They make me ugly." A tear rolled down her cheek.

"No," Rick said, "they're not, and they don't. You're beautiful, Kate, so beautiful." Then he kissed away her tears, kissed her scars, and then he kissed her on the lips. And then they made love for the first time. For Kate it felt like her first time. Yes, she had had sex before, but this was different; it was making love and she knew for sure this would be her last first time.

Kate awoke snuggled into Rick's side, with her head on his chest. She began tracing figures on his naked chest, very softly. When he woke up, she looked up at him with a shy, but loving smile.

"You know I love you, right?"

And all he could do was kiss her with everything he had.

**I really hope you all liked this story. Maybe I'll start a new one soon, I don't know yet. **

**Let me know what you thought of this one!**

**-xxx-**


End file.
